14 May 2011

On board of R/V "Pelagos", which is ready to start from Sanremo, Portosole, in the Ligurian Sea, researchers met for a week, as every year, for checking the scientific instrumentation and for defining final details about data collection in the field. The scientific programme for the coming season, which is about to start, will include, among the main topics, fotoID of various species, photogrammetry of sperm whales aimed at estimating lenght and age-classes of individuals. Also the feeding ecology of sperm whales will be studied, by means of acoustic and visual data. Respiration patterns will be monitored in all species; for the ongoing genetic research some microscopic fragment of tissue will be collected by means of a non-invasive skin swabbing technique from Risso's dolphins and pilot whales. Further behavioural studies will target fin whales' feeding habitat. Expeditions will start Monday, May 16th, and will be carried on continuously till September, 26th.More informations on Tethys' web site.